Leadership Trust

Leadership Trust Donor Profile

Al Weissner

Integra Business Systems, Inc. is a software development company founded in 1988 and currently has 40 employees. Our slogan is Advancing the Paperless World. Our iDentifi, Net Enterprise Content Management (ECM) suite of software products provides document management solutions addressing today’s challenging needs for ROI, secure storage of documents and information; while aiding you with regulatory and compliance issues. I participate annually in the Young Entrepreneur Foundation (YEF) program. I enjoy talking with these young entrepreneurs and I believe many of them are prepared to compete, thrive and lead in the future flatter global economy.

Being on the board of the NFIB Florida PAC affords me the opportunity to learn more about the future men and women running for public office in the State of Florida and helps Integra give a voice for small business. Integra’s bikeMS Team has raised over $19,600 this year to fight for a cure for MS. Since 2006 we have raised over $170,000 to find a cure for MS. Integra also participated in Feed the Bay in 2014 as well as other charitable initiatives nationwide, raising $15,000 – 20,000 annually. Hiking and cycling are my favorite activities while off the clock. Cycling is a passion, I have ridden in two week-long bike tours of over 450 miles each, through the Colorado Rockies.

Spotlight on Markwayne Mullin

Congressman Markwayne Mullin

With well over 30 NFIB members elected to Congress, the voice of small business is being heard like never before. Here’s just one example of how these members are making an impact:

“I came to Congress as a businessman who simply got fed-up with the government hindering my ability to create jobs,” says Congressman Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma’s second congressional district. Mullin started his NFIB member business, Mullin Plumbing when he was twenty years old. As his business grew, he grew increasingly frustrated that his biggest competitor was not another business, but rather government regulation. He reached his breaking point when forty cents of every dollar his company took in was being spent on compliance. In 2012, Mullin ran and won retiring Congressman Dan Boren’s seat and currently has a hundred percent voting record with NFIB. He has supported measures to rein in the NLRB, delay the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act, and to amend the law to define full time employment at 40 hours, instead of 30. Mullin serves on the Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure committees, and is working to expand domestic energy production and lower energy costs. NFIB’s energy consumption poll shows that energy costs are one of the top three business expenses in 35% of small businesses. Mullin and NFIB support legislation to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to reduce America’s reliance on foreign energy and to help lower the cost of fuels small businesses use every day. Mullin has also been vocal in his critique of the Obama administration’s failure to approve the project. “For over five years, the Administration has delayed and stalled this major private-sector investment in our economy, in job creation and in reducing our dependency on foreign oil,” said Mullin. “Enough is enough.” The congressman also voted for key votes to expand the area where offshore drilling is allowed, potentially increasing domestic fuel production. He also supported allowing states to determine for themselves if they will allow hydraulic fracturing, without going through the red tape of federal bureaucracy with the Department of the Interior. Recently, Mullin took to the floor of the House of Representatives to say “My mission every day is to make it easier for businesses to start, to expand and to be successful.” NFIB is certainly grateful to have Congressman Markwayne Mullin fighting for his fellow NFIB members in Congress.

Regional Special Events

The Leadership Trust program hosted regional special events featuring political insiders Tucker Carlson in Tallahassee, Florida and Karl Rove in Sacramento, California. These events were the first in a series being held in conjunction with the states’ Small Business Day at the Capitol. Members enjoyed hearing about several topics including, What’s Going on in D.C., the Small Business Climate and elections on both the state and federal level, and personally shared concerns with our guest speakers. Look for upcoming information on our next events!